I half wrote an update at four and five months to share but never could seem to hit publish. Lately, I feel like that has been our story over here. Life is full on busy and active with our new six-month-old, and I find myself wishing I had a little more time to do everything but also wishing it would just stand still. Motherhood is strange like that. Please go to bed, but wait I miss you while you are sleeping. I know it won’t get any easier either.

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I was waiting for the six-month mark ever since one of my girlfriends brought her baby over at that age, and it looked so much easier. Head is steady, smiling, and laughing while hugging your neck. It is like all of the things you have been dreaming about suddenly start happening and your once newborn is now an infant. Out of the blue Leo rolled over while I was at a hair appointment. Five full months of watching him every single day and I leave for forty-five minutes, and I miss the roll. Ugh. But that is life as a mom.

The transition from the two of us to the three of us has been great. There are days when I stand in the shower and think of how much time I used to have for myself. What was I doing before? I can barely remember now! It isn’t that I long for the old days or wish I could go back because I love that we are a little family, but there are so many things that are hard and harder than I could have ever known.

We are in the middle of sleep training, and I do not want to dive into that in this post as we are only a few days in and it is working, so I will share if and when we master it. As of now, I am in the beginning stages. But I love being able to share things that have helped or share the struggles. Every single mom and every baby is so very different.

And I think that is the chaotic beauty of motherhood. You do whatever it is your instincts, and your gut tells you to do, and you roll with it. We all have these ideas of what kind of mother we want to be. I can tell you I want to be the best I can every day.

Six months comes at you so fast. I feel excellent. My scar looks good, and I feel healed. The surgery and the emotional roller coaster that is having a baby are no joke. I could laugh and cry and then be frustrated all within seconds of one another and be honest sharing my journey open and honestly has also been a wee bit of a stressor. Like hello, world here are my opinions and feelings please judge them!

The thing I hate most about social media is that sadly a lot of people will never know me personally. We will probably never sit down and have coffee and dish our deepest darkest secrets together. And I hate that! I want to hear your stories and compare our mom lives! Please share them below I want to know all of it! But most of all I want to be more vulnerable and share the good and the bad.

Becoming and being a mama is not a comparison game. How one recovers from having a baby, the way you carry a baby, the way you feel or share how you think are all yours. I honestly look different post-baby and just because I may be thin by other standards doesn’t mean I have any less fear or insecurity. I am proud of my body and the fact that I carried a baby. And he was a big baby. It is different. I am different. That is all ok.

I am guilty of the comparison game too. I will scroll past other bloggers who have just had babies and look great postpartum or see that they are back working right away and I think wow that is amazing. I judge myself thinking I have a six-month-old and I can barely get a post up since January, but here we are comparing. It is not a comparison game and however, you choose to handle your journey is up to you!

My word for the year is Trust. I have been feeling something big is on the horizon I do not know what it is, but I prayed in the shower this morning that God would open my heart to receive it. I want to do great things and big things. I have no clue what they are, but my arms are wide open to receive it anytime.

SIX MONTH UPDATE:

In terms of Leo and where he is at right now, we are entering the world of solids. Eating all the things from mashed up banana, avocado, sweet potato, mango. We recently came across a brand I am in love with called Once Upon a Farm. The food is a puree that is already blended and cold-pressed, so it is as close to fresh as possible. And it takes two seconds to open the cap and start feeding baby! They have comparisons on their Instagram showing the colors, and it is fantastic, bright and healthy. I taste each one before I feed them to Leo, and I would eat each of them. So very good and so fresh.

Leo has mastered rolling front to back and back to front. He is picking up everything and anything in sight. We have just started the grabbing anything he can get his little hands on including my food, wine, and coffee! I shared a picture at our lunch the other day of my wine all over the table, and it is happening. Gone are the days of my eat, sleep, poop, repeat newborn.

He loved splashing around in the water in Mexico, and we are eager to get him into baby swim classes. Overall he is one happy baby and laughing all the time. His favorite toys are the dimple, his remote control, and his singing elephant. We love to sing with him, and I strap him into our carrier and blast Justin Timberlake while dancing. His facial expressions are the best. I have to video it and share because it will have you smiling ear to ear!

We have established more of a routine as of late. Or at least what feels like a schedule, I like to be a little flexible with it but it is helping make my life easier. Leo is exclusively breastfeeding. I thought I was going to stop a long time ago but the milk is there and it has just gotten so much more comfortable so I am sticking to it as long as God lets me provide it! I still owe you all my Breastfeeding post, and I will get to it!!

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Overall though It is unreal how fast it has all gone by, and I am still scratching my head thinking where did half a year ago. So much more to come in our little world. Thanks for loving on us and supporting us. Every message and comment mean so much to our family and me.

9 Comments

Tracey Shull

February 10, 2019 / 12:14 am

Hi, Tamara. I have enjoyed each of your posts and your blogs, and I love watching how you have transitioned from being a working woman to a working mom, all while beautifully continuing to take care of your child, yourself and your home. Don’t worry about envious people; their comments will always reflect their own insecurity more than anything about you. You are beautiful inside and out, and I wish you and your little family all God’s blessings!

Tracey, thank you so much, sweet friend. We feel really grateful God picked us to be Leo’s parents! The transition is so crazy and it is just the best becoming a real family. Sending the same back to you!

This was such a beautiful and heart warming blog post. You’re doing an amazing job as a Mom & inspiring in every way. Everyone is guilty of the comparison game. I think the key is to know you are right where you should be. I can’t believe Leo is 6 months and I have so enjoy following along. He’s so lucky to have a mommy like YOU!

This was such a great post and thank you for sharing. We’re all guilty of the comparison game, myself included. I haven’t bounced back as fast after this one and it’s bothering more then I thought it would and I think it’s because I’m comparing myself to everyone else and my younger self. I loved watching you enter into motherhood and follow along with you since my little guy is about a month younger then Leo. I have all these Instagram moms that had babies around the same time that I wished lived closer because I’m the youngest of my friends and the only one still having babies. It makes me thankful to follow other moms going through the same struggles since I don’t really have anyone to share it with in person because all their kids are older. You’re such a great mom to follow! I also can’t wait to hear what you’re doing for sleep training because dear lord we could use it. I feel like we’re going backwards. I’m about to give Cara a phone call over at Taking Cara babies. Also isn’t it crazy how much they change entering 6 months. Gone are the days of sitting still. Haha.

Jen! I wish you were down the street so we could meet up for a coffee and share some mama struggles! I think that is one of the gifts that sharing has given me is being able to talk and relate to women across the country! It is amazing that we can connect in such a meaningful way and it helps me to share the good and the bad. The sleeping thing has been one heck of a rodeo for me this week but it is going pretty good we have had a few hiccups but overall we are getting better and better. It was harder on me than anything else, if my husband was not here to keep me from busting down the door I think we would still be in a bad spot. Sleep is priceless, isn’t it! I will definitely share and do call her because I have heard nothing but wonderful things about sleep coaches and have read a ton on them! They are fairy godmothers! Sending love and strength! XOXO T

Thank you for sharing your motherhood journey! I have a three month old daughter and it’s very helpful to watch others who are a bit ahead of us so I can know what to anticipate. I got her Floppy the elephant after seeing it on your Instagram and it has helped her with tummy time. Leo is so adorable and you’re doing an amazing job as a mom!

Kathy I am so happy to hear about the elephant! I just think it is the cutest thing and Leo has really started loving it even more with age! Wishing you a wonderful week ahead and congratulations on your little one!